The Pigeon Thief - Venkat Rajan - Bog

John Smith, a twenty-seven-year-old backpacker from Australia, is on a soul-searching journey in Mumbai, the enigmatic city where he was born to Australian ex-pats who returned to Sydney when he was a toddler.Raju, a twelve-year-old runaway boy from Bihar, lives on the streets of Mumbai in a masked identity, doing odd jobs to survive. At night, he assists Hamid Bhai, a taxi driver at the International Airport, bringing customers. During the day, he works as a bellboy at Happy Hotel, nestled in an Andheri suburb.Raju spots John at the airport terminal arrival zone and coaxes him to stay at Happy Hotel and ride with Hamid Bhai to get to his hotel. While on the way, Raju impresses John and convinces the Aussie to hire him as his guide in Mumbai for a fee. The deal is struck, and Raju exposes John to some of the best-kept secrets of Mumbai. The duo bond well, and John takes a liking to Raju's charm, wit and love of life amidst his everyday struggles.During one of their outings, Raju suddenly goes missing. Curious and concerned, John searches for Raju, armed with only a fragmentary and disconnected footprint in the mysterious world of street children and their haunts.Will he find Raju? Will he find his true self? Will he find love?